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Towards ensuring right to legal gender recognition in the Republic of Moldova
The Council of Europe facilitated a common platform for discussion between state authorities and civil society organisations from the LGBTI community, with a focus on ensuring the right to legal gender recognition to persons living in the Republic of Moldova, as well as on the related European...
Young European Ambassadors sending a loud and clear message from Budapest: Say NO to hatred!
More than 50 Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) got introduced to methods on how to effectively address hate speech and discrimination. This will enable the YEAs to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of equality and diversity, ultimately contributing to combating hate...
Video spot on non-discrimination for legal professionals in the Republic of Moldova
A video that tackles through a practical example the difference between hate speech and an offence or an insult is now available online. The video analyses the circumstances for defining whether a discourse can amount to hate speech or not, in the light of six criteria, such as: context, status...
Training on promoting equality and non-discrimination for civil society representatives in Azerbaijan
Civil society representatives, young legal professionals and volunteers from Baku and three regions of Azerbaijan, were trained on standards and tools of the Council of Europe promoting equality and non-discrimination. This training, through a collaborative learning platform for interactive...
137th Plenary session of the Venice Commission: New opinions prepared under the Quick Response Mechanism
At its 137th plenary session (held on 15-16 December 2023), the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe adopted, among others: Armenia Joint opinion of the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) of the Council of Europe on the Concept Paper...
Annual Court Managers' Forum organised in Georgia
The eighth annual Court Managers’ Forum was organised on 16-17 December, aiming at equipping court managers with practical and organisational skills, resulting to a more efficient court system in Georgia. The event was attended by 24 court managers from all the regions, and it serves as a...
Raising awareness on combating violence against women among law-enforcement officials and judges in Azerbaijan
Police officers, judges, and representatives of local executive authorities in Azerrbaijan, participated in two sessions on international standards for combating violence against women and domestic violence especially looking at protection orders for victims. Protection order for victims of...
Towards a nation-based definition of hate speech based on Council of Europe standards
Georgian stakeholders with a role in combating hate speech took part in a clarificatory workshop on the definition of hate speech. The workshop aimed at initiating discussions among stakeholders about the importance of defining hate speech and incorporating it into the relevant codes of conduct...
Improving the processing of cases of hate speech appearing in the media in the Republic of Moldova
Monitors of the Audiovisual Council, the media national regulatory authority of the Republic of Moldova, improve their capacities on the application of a standard methodology for assessing and processing hate speech in audio-visual media through four practical training sessions. The sessions,...
Judges and prosecutors in Armenia discussed various dimensions of criminal proceedings in absentia and confiscation of property of illicit origin
A series of discussions addressing crucial legal aspects related to criminal proceedings in absentia and the confiscation of property of illicit origin were held under the joint European Union and Council of Europe project “Support to the Justice Reform in Armenia”. In total, 90 specialists from...
Legal professionals from Azerbaijan advocate for zero tolerance on domestic violence
A group of 25 legal professionals in Azerbaijan convened in Baku for the café discussion "Zero tolerance to domestic violence in society". This event takes place during the "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence" period, which runs from 25 November to 10 December every year. The event...
Ukraine Police exchanges with peers on the role of law enforcement in preventing discrimination and promoting diversity
A peer-to-peer workshop between the Portuguese and Ukrainian police was, organised on 7 December 2023, provided a platform for exchange of experiences on the prevention of discrimination and promotion of diversity in the remit of law enforcement work. At the opening, Erlend Falck, Deputy Head of...
The Council of Europe supports the strengthening of capacities of representatives of Belarusian democratic forces and civil society on promoting equality and non-discrimination
A round-table on equality and non-discrimination, gathering representatives of Belarusian democratic forces and civil society, Council of Europe and European Union Delegation to the Council of Europe was held in Strasbourg on 4-5 December 2023. The aim of the activity was to discuss and review...
Armenian equality body ready to respond to discrimination and hatred
A training programme on combating discrimination adapted to the staff needs of the Human Rights Defender's Office in Armenia, bolstered their capacities to respond to cases of discrimination and hatred in line with European standards, notably those developed by the European Commission against...
Training legal professionals to combat discrimination on religious, ethnic and linguistic grounds in the Republic of Moldova
Legal professionals, including judges, prosecutors, registrars, assistants and counsellors from judicial institutions of the Republic of Moldova, were trained on the latest European and Council of Europe standards and European Court of Human Rights case law on cases of discrimination on...
Empowering diversity through the inaugural session of the Public Council on National Minorities’ Rights in Armenia
The inaugural session of the Public Council on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons belonging to National Minorities (the Public Council), adjunct to the Human Rights Defender Office in Armenia, was held on 30 November 2023 in Yerevan. The event is perceived as a milestone,...
Azerbaijani authorities examine techniques to prevent and combat money laundering schemes associated with new payment methods
The landscape of the traditional financial system continues to change with the rise of crypto assets. This drives the crucial need for further enhancement of the investigation and prosecution against the increasingly sophisticated money laundering schemes employed by criminals to obfuscate the...
Supporting the launch of an awareness-raising initiative by the Armenian Ministry of Justice on the protection of whistleblowers
Financial support was provided to the Ministry of Justice of Armenia to launch an awareness raising initiative on the protection of whistleblowers. The Partnership for Good Governance project will work closely with the national authorities of the country, to support the implementation of several...
European standards on hate speech and hate crimes at the centre of training for legal professionals in the Republic of Moldova
Legal professionals from judicial institutions in the Republic of Moldova enhanced their knowledge and understanding of European standards on hate speech and hate crimes through a tailor-made training session. The scope of the activity is relevant to the work of these professionals, ensuring...
Mediation training programme advances skilled mediators in Armenia
The creation of a pool of highly skilled mediators is the aim of the mediation training programme organised for twenty prospective mediators. This is an initiative between the Council of Europe the Ministry of Justice in Armenia and the Arbitration and Mediation Centre of Armenia (AMCA). The...
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